Labour could lose a number of seats to UKIP at the General Election, according to detailed analysis.

Seats that could fall to Nigel Farage's party include the high-profile shadow women’s minister Gloria de Piero in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

UKIP enjoyed a strong performance in traditional working-class constituencies where Labour has always done, according to the study of elections dating back to 2010 and census information.

Another constituency at risk could be Great Grimsby, where veteran Labour MP Austin Mitchell is stepping down.

The analysis by politics professor Dr Matthew Goodwin at the University of Nottingham comes as a further warning to the Labour leader after the trend became clear in the wake of May's local and European elections.

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"Labour is divided about how seriously it should take Ukip. Those in Ed Miliband's team who cling to the misguided view that Nigel Farage's party is not a threat should look at the Labour seats that are most vulnerable to this insurgency.

"The Labour seats that emerge as top prospects for Ukip share several features; they are typically over 95% white British; have large numbers of pensioners and voters with only GCSE or no qualifications; and in 2014 saw Ukip win the popular vote. But it is the local political context that will be crucial at next year's first-past-the-post election," Dr Goodwin told The Independent.

UKIP is drawing up a hit-list of around 20-30 areas to target in 2015. Great Grimsby is expected to be on the list as are Great Yarmouth, Portsmouth South, Eastleigh, Broxtowe, North Thanet and South Thanet.